Chopsticks
by McGonagall's Bola
Summary: Set after 9.05 Sleepness in Miami. No one could have imagined how deep the matter could linger in Natalia's heart, her soul... BoaWolfe -REWRITTEN!


Horatio quietly nodded to the female CSI upon passing her on his way to his office.

"Night!" Calleigh called after him in her usual southern lilt, but she wasn't entirely sure if he had actually heard. She exhaled, then walked into the quiet locker room. Ryan didn't seem to have noticed her enter, even though the sound of her heels easily might have betrayed her. His head leaned against Natalia's locker. He seemed utterly lost. Calleigh momentarily coughed to announce herself. Ryan's head slowly turned in her direction. He sighed, then suddenly pulled away as if burned, distancing himself from the locker. He nearly saw it in her eyes. She had overheard them talking.

Calleigh swallowed, maintaining eye contact with him. Her mesmerizing green eyes showed more worry than anything else. He swallowed, too. He carefully awaited her reaction. "Natalia shot at you both?" She questioned.

She quietly watched Ryan run a hand backward through his hair, as he slowly nodded, then confirmed, "Yeah. She did."

"Why?" Calleigh asked, walking over to her colleague doing her best not to convey the shock she felt. Horatio hadn't mentioned anything about it, even though she didn't have to ask why. She quietly considered anyone of her colleagues telling her she had rang shots at them. She wouldn't really dare going on any intervention with a chance of gun using without worries anymore. She had learned to count upon her colleagues. She couldn't imagine being the one upon which wasn't to be counted herself…

"Calleigh. Seriously. You should have seen her. She was going into a shock or something. She was lying there screaming, and fighting. Nick…"

Calleigh nodded, then very characteristically inhaled, and exhaled in thought. "She's never really gotten over it, I fear. I mean… She's been through a lot, too. I'm not sure I'd be able to deal with it so admirably as she."

"You would," Ryan said. Calleigh half smiled. Silence overtook them both, until Ryan spoke again, "I have suggested to take her home. Maybe a bite of Chinese and a movie'll relax her. I just…"

Calleigh nodded. "I would say that is a very good idea. She's lucky to be your friend."

"I'm yours, too," Ryan said, and smiled.

"I know," Calleigh said, and smiled, watching as he nodded at her, and left the still quiet locker room. Calleigh sighed, then let herself fall down on one of the benches between the lines of lockers. "Oh Natalia…" she sighed. Of course it would be odd enough if Natalia had been over her marriage. She often read articles that it takes mere years to get over a divorce. How do you, however, deal with the man you loved abusing you, even to the point of causing you long lasting hearing loss? How do you deal with leaving that man, then learning about his murder, and momentarily even being considered a suspect for it? She sighed once again.

"Would you care for some more?" Ryan asked, holding the box of Chinese up. "There's a bit of nasi goring left?" He said, wiggling the box at Natalia.

"No, I'm full," she said, falling back against the couch, and watching Ryan uneasily try to eat with his chopsticks. She giggled, then leaned forward to aid him. She quietly took his chopsticks, and showed him how to use them well. "See," she said. "You have got to keep one of them still, as the other moves, to get it working like a shrew." She easily demonstrated it, and picked a rather good amount of food between the chopsticks, and lead it to Ryan's mouth, following with the box in case something accidentally fell. She so continued feeding him until nothing of the bami goring was left. She then put the box down onto the table, leaving the chopsticks in it, and reached for her untouched glass of red wine. Ryan immediately followed.

Both CSIs momentarily enjoyed the taste upon their lips and tongue, remaining quiet. That was until Natalia spoke, "You'll have to learn how to use them."

Ryan laughed. "I'll never learn."

"I thought I would never learn how to use a gun, and here I have got my permit, don't I?" Natalia said. "Practice is what makes perfect."

Ryan nodded, rather off-minded. Yeah, she indeed had learned how to use a gun, and gotten her permit. He was painfully remained of how he and Horatio had encountered her. Some of her shots had been only near misses indeed. She had appeared so insane, and if he hadn't known her, he might have thought she was, or worse. He sighed, and Natalia turned to him. "What's the matter?" She questioned.

"Yeah. Well. I was pondering about how best I could learn how to eat with these thingies if indeed you hypothesis is–"

"Of course it is!"

"Well, then. Maybe we should make it a habit of eating Chinese every week or so, until I have learned it. And then after to celebrate I did." At least that was one night in the week that Natalia wouldn't be alone with her thoughts. At least that would be one time a week she could just enjoy the company of someone who did care about her, and wouldn't hurt her.

Natalia chuckled. "I might hold you to that."


End file.
